Category Archives: Stories Of A Student

As of October, we have turned over the last keys of the last house to the new owners. It has been a bittersweet time as we remember all of the memories of almost 23 years there. We have such great memories, so much joy but also hard and sad times. Times of loss and lots of gain. The best is all the people we met over the years, teams and individuals, children, great gifts. God was always faithful, always. This property is now being fixed up and rented for market value. So we say goodbye to our time there and look forward to what is ahead.Thankful that all of us have found places to live for now and waiting to see what is next.

We are still at the warehouse more than ever now, so come by and see us. We are still serving food at the warehouse, schools and apartments. Our recuperative care house is still open. We now have an 8 bedroom house to care for more men.

Thank you for all your prayers, support and encouragement along the way. God is always good.
“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1Thessalonians 5:16-17

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We put up a few months ago that our property was sold, well after 60 days of extension from our landlady and 30 more days from the new buyer, we now know we can no longer continue to do what we have been able to do for 22 years. We are blown away with thankfulness for the 22 years we were able to live and serve on this very unique property and landlords who blessed what we did. We are thankful we have been good tenants and good neighbors and able to serve the community. We are up and down even though we are walking in faith. God had this idea and put it all together and we said yes, so we know He will lead us now.

Please pray for us and if you hear of anything, houses, apartments, storage boxes please let us know.

We still have the Warehouse and still have our trucks and still pick up food so all those who receive food, we will continue to serve as we have done.
…and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7

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We opened our Recuperative Care house 2 years ago this past March. We have been able to be a refuge for over 100 men whose home is the streets. These men are coming out of the hospital and need time to recuperate before moving on. The Hospitals call for placement. They stay with us days and some months. We have been able to get some in housing, some go home to their families. And sad some go back to what they know on the streets. God has healed some and some have accepted Jesus as their Savior. One brother, after receiving Jesus and being baptized, went home to heaven.

We have had 5 new guys that have come in to stay with us these past few weeks. Here is one of the guys that have stayed with us who would like you to know of them and pray for them….

This is William. He is 22 and has brain cancer. He had 90% surgically removed and is waiting on a treatment plan for the other 10%….

Thank you for your prayers….

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So many of you have touched us with your love and support through the years, we want to celebrate our 20 years with you. Come and join us for worship, tacos and a time of blessing for our neighbors.
Saturday November 5th 9am – 2pm at our warehouse
2452 Market st (located in the alley behind Jack in the box)

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With deep sadness we share that our wonderful friend, Lucas Makana Riley, was killed Saturday night by a drunk driver.

We have known Lucas and his family for over 15 years, we have so many beautiful memories of him. Lucas lived in our community for a year, and he was a gracious and loving servant. He was a gift to all who knew him. We will remember his warm smile and good humor. He was a tender, creative and thoughtful soul.

Please pray for the Riley family and his fiancé Shawna.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4

We love you and will be together again.

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It starts this Monday, July 11 and goes through July 29, from Monday through Friday each week. Please pray for all of the kids that are coming, for a fun and safe time and that they would learn about God and His great love for them.

A big thank you to those who have given already! We look forward to working with Week Of Hope again this year.

Those of you who are still interested in giving, if you would like to sponsor an ice cream party, pizza lunch, craft donations, or just a gift of money, please let us know.

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My name is Jenny, I am 23 years old and I spent one year with City of Refuge from March 2015 until March 2016.
After a short visit to City of Refuge in March 2014 I went home to a job and an apartment, never thinking about moving for a longer period of time. But I did.

The most important thing I learned at City of Refuge is God’s heart and love for the poor.
I’ve been a Christian for a couple years and I’ve been reading the bible, but I’ve never paid attention to how much God wants us as Christians to take care of the poor and hungry.
It was very exciting to understand Gods heart for those that have nothing and at the same time being able to actually do something – which is exactly what God calls us to do.
Jesus came to save us and the more we look at Him and try to be like Him the more we want to save others. So it’s only obvious that working at City of Refuge feels like you’re doing, what you’re supposed to do! At least that’s how I felt.

Although I didn’t know the people we served when I first arrived, I had the privilege to become part of families and friendships that others had built for many years!
I absolutely loved the work and seeing people pour out their lives to serve and bless others, it is very encouraging!

Another thing I’ve learned is more personal and something God showed me about myself.
I’ve always hung out with kids but I never viewed “being good with kids“ as a talent. “Everybody is good with kids“ I often thought, so I never really thought of it as something special or something God wants me to do.
In my year helping out at Kids Club I realized how much I love being around the young ones, sharing stories & especially Jesus‘ love.
So now back in Germany I see the children’s work very different, I’m more encouraged to give them more attention and time and effort!

I am very grateful for that year, aside from things as I’ve known them, for all the friendships, for all the minutes spent with precious kids or serving people God loves so much.

Most of all I’m grateful for the things God showed me, how I know Him better now and how I understand what He wants me to do a little more than before.

I’d come back in a heartbeat!

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We are in the midst of a season of change. We have folks leaving the community, and we also have had shifts in our housing arrangements. At this time we have room for self supported missionaries who are interested in serving with us for six months or one year. We are looking for strong, committed believers who view themselves as missionaries, and are serious about serving in the inner city. We have room for both single adults, and for two married couples.

Who We Are

We are a Christ-centered community serving in San Diego’s inner city. For over 19 years our goal has been to meet the physical needs of those in our neighborhood, and to build meaningful and lasting relationships that point our neighbors to Christ. Our heart is not to simply preach the gospel with words, but to emulate Jesus’ way of life by loving the least of these. Our belief is that God’s heart is for the poor, and that we can be His hands and feet by helping the most needy.

What We Do

For us, living in community means sharing the most mundane moments of life and the extraordinary ones. We live and work together, and our commitment to each other has to be as strong as our commitment to those we serve. We eat together five days a week, and share our work load. Our community also houses individuals who are in need of much support and care, whether they face mental health issues, drug/alcohol addiction or physical sickness. Our six-day work week is full of food pick-ups and distributions, grocery deliveries, times of prayer and worship, working with neighborhood kids, visiting with our friends on the street, Bible studies, cleaning our property, distributing hygiene and clothing items, and much more. Some days can be very busy and some can have us working until the late evening, however our goal is to find a balance between scheduled times of work and service and leaving room for the Holy Spirit and His prompting, as we often meet people who need immediate assistance.